Fire
by XMimiSweetX
Summary: Draculaura's old flame Valentine returns and soon she has to make a choice between him and Clawd. This looks all too familiar to Frankie, and Holt isn't letting go of her anytime soon. All they share is the fire that burns.  full summary inside
1. Chapter 1: An Ordinary Day

**Okay, I was MAJORLY disappointed with the Monster High, so I'm putting up my own edited version. It'll be longer, more action-y, and more importantly, have more pairings!**

**Genres: Romance, drama, and a bit of friendship**

**Pairings: Holt (Jackson)/Frankie, Draculaura/Clawd, Draculaura/Valentine, Cupid/Draculaura, Clawdeen/Romulus, Howleen/Romulus, Heath/Ghoulia, mention of Don of the Dead/Ghoulia/Slow Moe, mild Cleo/Deuce**

**Rating: T for language, possible minor sexual content**

**Summary: Draculaura's old flame Valentine returns and soon she has to make a choice between him…and Clawd. This looks all too familiar to Frankie, and Holt isn't letting go of her anytime soon. Clawdeen starts to question her feelings when Romulus starts seeing Howleen. After some scientific research, Ghoulia is matched with Heath. All they share is the fire that burns within them each.**

**Chapter One: An Ordinary Day**

Frankie woke up the next morning, smiling at the present she had gotten Draculaura for her sweet 1600 birthday. She took out the ponytail she slept in and run a brush through her hair and keeping her bangs back with her blue barrette. Changing into her usual outfit and adjusting her tie, she clipped in her earrings and slipped into her heels before waving goodbye to her parents and letting her precious puppy out for a few minutes and then heading to the bus stop to meet up with Clawdeen.

Clawdeen sported her usual curly brown hair and fur-theme purple outfit. "Hey ghoul." She greeted.

Frankie smiled as their bus rode up to their stop. They sat next to each other, enjoying lighthearted-chatting until Frankie saw the house she had come to hate. She saw the sweet boy whom she had dumped about a month ago, and she was filled with dread when Jackson came onto the bus. She forced a smile, trying to swallow the guilt that was threatening to swallow her. "Hey Jackson."

He smiled. "Hey Frankie." He took the seat next to her. "What are you guys talking about?"

Frankie still felt guilty about her "hitting pause" on her relationship with Jackson…that is, with Jackson and Holt. It was still unbelievable that the two were technically the same guy; they were so different…Frankie had two completely different experiences with both of them. She really wanted to be with Jackson…but first, she wanted to figure out which one she wanted more. She had simply used the fighting between them as an excuse to take a break and figure something out. Since they really were the same guy…was she allowed to date both of them?

She sudden found herself sympathizing with her friend Ghoulia, who had been in the same situation with Slow Moe and Don for the past weeks. She was just thankful that Holt and Jackson couldn't physically fight like Slow Moe and Don could. Well, she decided that they could, but…it wouldn't exactly be a good idea.

She shook her head. "Nothing much."

_I'm just thinking about how much I'm totally crushing on you _and_ Holt, that's all. _She mentally shrieked at herself for putting herself into that situation. Just thinking about it made her want to tear her stitches out from all of the stress.

Getting to school, they met up with the other ghouls and Clawd, Gil, and Deuce. Draculaura and Cleo had the money to be driven to school by their father's chauffeurs; they didn't have to take the school bus like Frankie and Clawdeen did. Lagoona usually swam there using the water currents.

Frankie stood painfully next to Jackson, thanking all the upper forces that there was no loud music because Holt wasn't shy like Jackson was. Holt had no problems approaching her. They stood and talked for a few minutes, before the bell rang, and the start of the day promised chaos for them all.

**Okay, I know, short chapter, but they'll get longer. This story will probably focus more on Holt/Frankie than anyone else, because that's my favorite Monster High pairing! And sadly, I will have to rewatch the very disappointing special.**

**See you soon!**

**~Mimi**


	2. Chapter 2: So In Love With Two

**Chapter two. Here we see more of Clawdeen and Romulus and Frankie and Holt and a bit of Ghoulia and her boy trouble. So, let the drama ensue right on schedule! This chapter is for wolverinacullen, the first person to review and favorite this story. C: Thanks so much!**

**Chapter Two: So In Love With Two**

Frankie collapsed onto her bed, amazed that she had even survived the day. Side-stepping Jackson was difficult; side-stepping Holt was nearly impossible. She honestly had no idea what to do. She and Holt had electricity; they had something, and Holt sent sparks and excitement through her body. But Jackson was so sweet and smart, and much more levelheaded than bad-tempered Holt. She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket and saw that it was Clawdeen. "Hey ghoul." She said, although honestly not in the mood to talk since the day and her turbulent emotions had left her completely exhausted.

"_Frankie, ghoul, you okay?"_ She asked.

She sighed. "I dunno Clawdeen. I mean…I know Jackson and Holt are the same guy underneath, but…they're so different from each other. If I picked one and didn't go out with the other, it'd…feel like cheating." She said meekly.

"_I hear ya, ghoulfriend. Poor Ghoulia's going through the same thing. She still doesn't know if she should take Don or Slow Moe to Draculaura's birthday party."_

Frankie could defiantly understand Ghoulia's predicament. "Maybe I should talk to her; she understands how I feel."

Clawdeen stood in her and Howleen's bedroom, standing near the mirror fiddling with her hair. She was already starting to lose the curls she had done that morning. Hearing Frankie's words about talking to Ghoulia, Clawdeen agreed. "Defiantly. She'll understand better than I would."

"_Alright. I'm seriously exhausted right now, Clawdeen. I need a nap. I'll talk to you later, okay?"_

Clawdeen smiled. "Okay, ghoulfriend. You take care of yourself."

"_I will, thanks. Bye."_

"Bye."

Clawdeen clicked the "end call" button on her iCoffin, and set it on the charger. She was surprised to hear the door open and see Howleen coming in much later than she usually did. "Hey sis, where you been?"

Howleen smiled and plopped onto her bed. "I missed the bus, so Romulus drove me home."

"Romulus?"

Clawdeen had been both surprised and not so at the same time. Romulus had always been there-Clawdeen and Howleen had known them since before he was housebroken, and that was a long time. They had always been close, even with the years they had spent apart. She shouldn't have been bothered by the fact that Romulus drove Howleen home since she missed the bus. It was a great thing to do. It was normal, since they had been friends for so long. But there was something about Howleen being alone with Romulus that stirred up an unpleasant feeling in her heart.

Holt was on his bed, laying on his back with his arms behind his head and he was listening to his favorite song, "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again". It reminded him of Frankie, and of the night he had met his Firecracker. He looked around. It soon became evident that the room belonged to two people; Jackson had left his homeroom on the brown desk, while Holt had piled his CDs onto it. There were posters for two different types of music; for every object in the room, there was another that completely contradicted it.

Holt stared at his hand, and gave a sigh. He still couldn't believe that he and Jackson shared a body. Their personalities clashed like fire and ice-which was actually half-literal. Jackson was calm, sweet, and smart. Holt was ill-tempered, rough, and wild. He and Jackson were absolutely nothing alike at all.

And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that every time Frankie looked at him, she only saw Jackson.

He groaned. Frankie had invaded his mind; he had never been so serious about one girl in his life. He had been interested in tons of girls, but Frankie was so different from there. She was down-to-earth and kind; she was always there for her friends. She was just…better than all of those other bimbos he was used to being around.

He desperately wanted to know which one Frankie liked better; but at the same time, he didn't want to force Frankie with that kind of choice. He suspected that was Jackson's feelings merging with his own. Hm. Frankie really was the only thing they had in common.

Back in her home, Ghoulia could barely focus on her Clawculus homework. Her heart (what was left of it) was torn in two. She had to pick between either Slow Moe or Don of the Dead to go to Draculaura's party with. She didn't want to hurt either one of them, and she liked both of them. She still remembered the day they had fought over her in front of most of the school. It was all because they were crushing on her.

She had to make a choice, though. And it had to be soon. She gave a zombie groan.

Romulus had been staring out the window for hours, trying to clear his head the moment he had gotten from dropping Howleen off at home. The entire time, while they laughed and joked, he kept wishing that Howleen was Clawdeen. He shook his head. He had to keep those desires under control. Clawdeen was his childhood friend, not to mention his best friend's sister. What he wanted to be with Clawdeen was just…wrong. He sighed. There had been a reason why he had never seen any other girls all those years he had spent away from Clawdeen.

Being with another girl felt like cheating.

**Chapter two, and it's a bit longer this time. Still only a couple pages long, but we see how everyone feels, and the chaos that's about to start next chapter. I have two other stories I want to wrap up (plus my best friend's birthday present to write) but I'll defiantly be working on this too.**

**See you soon!**

**~Mimi**


	3. Chapter 3: The Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter three, and thankfully longer this time. Now, since the special isn't up on Youtube yet, Draculaura's story of Valentine isn't exactly…exact. But it'll be close. Hopefully. I'll do my best. In this chapter, we see more of Ghoulia's love problems, and then Valentine enters the picture, and at the end we see Holt/Frankie. In the beginning, there's a confrontation between Clawdeen and Romulus. This chapter is for wolverinacullen and iwilleatyoursoul for reviewing and favoriting (and using proper grammar and spelling, GOOD JOB!).**

**Chapter Three: The Calm Before The Storm**

Clawdeen had rushed her makeup and hair, and she had gotten ready too quickly. Clawd had asked her what was wrong; she had always taken such care with her appearance before, but today she hadn't even curled her hair and she only had on a thin layer of lipgloss. Clawdeen thought about telling Clawd what she was panicked about, but thought better of it. Clawdeen had worried that she was going to lose Draculaura when she started dating Clawd, and she didn't want Clawd to go through the same with Romulus. And he might not even take her seriously. After all, Romulus had only driven Howleen home. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about.

But Clawdeen wasn't one to take risks.

Every second dragged on more and more slowly. It seemed like it would never be time to head to the bus time. Finally, Clawdeen got sick of waiting, and left earlier than her siblings. Then she waited and waited, and realized that leaving so early had been a bad idea. She sighed and sat down on the bench.

Romulus had been on his way to school, driving his own car when he spotted Clawdeen sitting on the bench. His instinct instantly warned him that something was wrong. Clawdeen hadn't gone all-out on her outfit, hair, and makeup like she normally did. She sat kicking a rock with her platform, a sullen expression on her face. Neither Clawd nor Howleen was with her. Something had happened.

He pulled over in front of her, and called out to her, and his heart raced when her face lit up at him. He'd give anything to see her always smiling at him like that. "Hey Clawdeen, you need a lift?"

She nodded and got up, the sound of her platforms hitting the pavement following her as she got into his car. "Yeah, and actually Romulus, I wanted to talk to you about something." Romulus raised an eyebrow but nodded as Clawdeen shut the door.

Heading down the road, Romulus asked, "So what's on your mind? Did you and Howleen get into a fight?" It was a decent guess, but Romulus didn't think that would be enough to get Clawdeen to stop putting effort into her appearance. She and Howleen got into arguments all of the time; they were sisters who shared a room, it was perfectly normal for them to fight.

"No, but it is about Howleen. She told me that you drove her home yesterday, and I was just…thinking…" Romulus looked at her, nodding to tell her to go on. "Romulus, you don't have a crush on my sister, do you?"

Romulus chuckled a bit and shook his head. "No, she's your sister; I would never do anything like that." That was the truth. He would never be with another girl, or any girl unless Clawdeen said she wanted him too. But dating _Howleen_? That just seemed wrong. Howleen was only 14, he was 17 (almost 18, actually). Not to mention, she was his best friend's sister and Clawdeen's sister.

He couldn't remember not feeling something for her. Even as a pup, he remembered that he always wanted to be with Clawdeen; he always wanted to play with her, sit next to her when they watched a movie, just be with her. He had had a crush on her for almost all of his life, and now at the age of 17, he knew he was in love with her.

Clawdeen was fierce and feisty with a bad temper. But she was deeply loyal and always there to defend a friend or sibling. No matter what she said, she would always be there for them, and she would never do anything to hurt them. Clawdeen was the only girl he could imagine being with. Even if he couldn't be with her, that was better than watching her date some other guy. He heard from Clawd that she once went to the movies with Heath Burns, but he had no problems with that. He gave a laugh, and knew from the moment he met Heath that that relationship was doomed from the start.

"What's so funny?" Clawdeen asked.

He shrugged her off. "Oh, nothing. And like I said; don't worry, I was just dropping Howleen off as a favor. You have nothing to be worried about."

Clawdeen smiled back. She really did overreact; suddenly, she was very thankful she didn't tell Clawd. He would've teased her about being jealous, and she was not jealous. "Hm, I really did panic over nothing. Now I wish I hadn't rushed through my morning. I look like I just rolled out of bed."

He smiled. "You look fine. I like it." Only when Clawdeen left her hair straight did he remember how long it was. He had the urge to run his fingers through it. He wanted to lean over and kiss her, but he didn't even want to think about what would happen afterwards.

She only laughed as they approached the high school. "If you say so." He parked his car in the student lot, and she waved goodbye as she spotted Frankie and Draculaura waving to her over by the main door. She smiled. "I'll see you, Romulus."

Romulus joined his own friends who had driven themselves to school. One of them asked, "Hey Romulus, is that your girlfriend?"

Romulus only sighed. "I wish."

…

Frankie had barely survived first period sitting next to Jackson who explained that he turn on some music so Holt could get out a couple of times a day, and had left with Cleo, Draculaura, and Clawdeen, who didn't really look like herself today. Draculaura needed her lipstick out of her locker, and they were surprised to see Clawd there with a makeshift step ladder.

"See?" He said. "Now you can get to your top shelf no problem!"

Of course, this was for her 1600th birthday. Frankie knew that Clawd had been clueless about what to get her, since her birthday was also Valentine's Day. He had been chasing his tail as to what to get her. And obviously, he was trying to show that he had been listening, but Draculaura had completely taken it the wrong way.

"That's what you think of me!" Draculaura shouted as tears began to cloud her vision. "You think I'm short!" She then proceeded to cry her eyes out, and Cleo and Clawdeen gave him bitchy looks and then followed Draculaura and Frankie to her girl's bathroom.

Frankie knew it really wasn't Clawd's fault. Draculaura was almost 1600; she had had a lot of birthdays, and he had a lot to live up to. But as she would soon discover, there was a lot more to the story than that.

"It's really not Clawd." Draculaura started. "It's just…I'm just expecting too much that's all. I mean, Clawd wasn't my first boyfriend."

"Really?" Frankie asked. Frankie had been the one to suggest that she date Clawd. Now that they had been dating for a few months (most of Frankie's life, in reality), it seemed impossible, unreal, that she'd be or had ever been with anyone else. But instead, Draculaura was telling her that she had had another boyfriend. "Who was?"

"I don't really want to talk about it…" Draculaura said, while Clawdeen and Cleo looked relieved. Frankie was about to drop the subject, always respectful of peoples' boundaries, but Draculaura suddenly returned to the topic. "Well, okay, if you're gonna twist my arm!" She smiled as she thought of the fond memories she had had. "His name was Valentine. He was the most romantic monster ever! We did everything together; he was so sweet. He was the heartthrob of the school; he could've had any girl he wanted, but he picked me." She thought about the reenactment of the witch trials they did in her last school, and how he had called her the sweetest names, like "angel" and "beautiful". "And on my birthday, he gave me the most wonderful present-a holiday, just for me! But we had to leave, because of a misunderstanding with the villagers. And…I never saw him again."

That was an area Frankie couldn't understand. In some ways, she had no experience with boys-in other ways, she had too much. She could understand having your heart torn in two between two completely different boys, but she didn't understand what it felt to suddenly be ripped him away from your boyfriend. And she was really hoping she would never find out.

Clawdeen shook her head. "Draculaura, things are different. You're with my brother now."

Draculaura nodded. "I know, I know. I just need to remember not to have my expectations set so high."

"Yeah, and ghoul, don't you think it's weird that he made a holiday for you, but named it after himself?" Clawdeen was more than sick of this story. She had heard more than a dozen times-literally-and really, she didn't think she would've liked this guy if she had met him. He sounded all too wrong for somebody as sweet and naïve as Draculaura. Clawd was an idiot at times, but he was just a puppy on the inside, and Clawdeen knew that she could trust him with her best friend.

Exiting the bathroom, Frankie spotted Ghoulia waiting loyally for Cleo. Frankie smiled. "Hey ghoul, have you decided who you're gonna take to the dance yet?"

Ghoulia gave that zombie groan that meant "No, I haven't. I do not know what to do." When translated.

Frankie patted her friend on the back. "I hear you, ghoul. Don't worry, you'll figure something out, just like I did." As optimistic as she tried to seem, Frankie knew she was far from figuring things out. Ghoulia dragged her feet across the floor, moving next to Cleo, and Frankie headed to her next class.

Turning the corner, she was surprised to literally run into Holt. He had been blasting music from his earbuds. "Hey Frankie." He grinned as he helped her pick up her books.

She smiled, though the nervousness and fear made her want to rip her stitches out and go to pieces. "Hey Holt. How have you and Jackson been doing?"

Holt sighed. He knew this was important to Frankie, and if he wanted anything with her, he needed to work out what was happening. But Jackson was just so… "Frankie, I know you want us to be friends and all and we're trying, we really are…but it's just hard since Jackson and I are…you know. Two totally different dudes." Frankie nodded, and Holt wondered if she felt guilty about putting them up to the task of trying to get along. "So, what have you been up to?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

Frankie shrugged. "I've been helping Ghoulia with her boy trouble. She doesn't know if she wants to take Don or Slow Moe to Draculaura's party."

Holt contemplated this for a moment. This sounded all too familiar to him. He gave a weak, almost not there smile. "Just like you and me." He said, and only when he saw Frankie's face did he realize that had been the worst possible thing to say. He mentally slapped himself as Frankie squeaked out excuses and skidded to her next class. Holt scowled at himself, and he felt something nagging at him inside. He suspected it was Jackson reprimanding him for making Frankie feel bad. "Shut up." He growled. "She means just as much to me as she does to you."

Frankie slumped in her seat, knowing she had to figure something out and figure something out soon. The best thing to do would be to sit down and have a talk with them-but that was too difficult when they shared a body. Frankie was a smart girl, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was clueless. Which one did she like better?

Jackson was a safe harbor, someone she could trust. Sure, he flaked out on her, but that wasn't his fault now, was it? Jackson was sweet and smart, and he was a very nice guy. She still didn't get why Manny always picked on him, especially for something as stupid as him being a Normie. That thought still made her spark with anger. She would always be there for Jackson, like he would always be there to listen to her when she had a problem.

But Holt…

Jackson was a great guy, he was really cute, but there was something about Holt that made her light up with sparks and made electricity run through her veins. When Holt pulled her close, she felt this fire spread through her skin. It went from her fingertips to her toes. It was the heat that Holt sent rushing through her. They always had a good time, and Holt laughed even when she accidentally electrocuted him. And Holt could be sweet too; she still listened to the mix he had made for her and when she thought about it, it made her want to listen to it.

She sighed and planted her face in her book, trying to ignore the feelings that were shouting at her from within.

At the end of the final bell, Romulus put his books and binders away in his backpack, and asked Clawdeen if she wanted a ride home. His heart raced again when she said, "Yeah, sure, thanks." She smiled and got into the passenger seat and Romulus began to drive. Clawdeen felt safe knowing that she was with Romulus, and her life wasn't in danger as long as he was around.

They talked and laughed and told each other about their day, Clawdeen completely oblivious to how much Romulus wanted to pull over and kiss her until he ran out of air in his lungs.

Clawdeen smiled as she turned up the radio. "Love this song."

_And I'd be ridin' and I swear I see her face at every turn._

_Tryin' to get my Usher on, but I can't let it burn._

_And I hope she know she the only one I urn for._

Seeing Romulus' tense and anxious face, Clawdeen asked, "Are you okay?"

Romulus forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

**Longest chapter so far! And it's had a little bit of almost all of the pairings, which is always good. Tomorrow is Friday (at least in this story), and then the storm will only grow stronger once it hits land. By the way, in case anyone hasn't noticed, Clawdeen/Romulus and Frankie/Holt are totally my favorite pairings. I can't believe they weren't in the special! Which, again, seriously disappointed me. I've had enough of Draculaura/Clawd. Now what I want to see is more of Clawdeen/Romulus.**

**See you soon!**

**~Mimi**


	4. Chapter 4: :titletoolongtofit:

**Chapter four! In this chapter, things will start to get a little more exciting. And let's see what chaos I've got planned. There's a party at a rich guy's house, and everyone's invited.**

**Chapter Four: There's A Party At A Rich Dude's House!**

Howleen was awoken by her sister's cussing in the bathroom and she instantly that Clawdeen's curling iron was refusing to cooperate with her once again. It was well over two years old; their mother kept telling her it was simply time for a new one, and had been doing since Clawdeen's hair wouldn't curl and stay that way for any longer than 15 minutes. Howleen heard the sound of something being thrown into the garbage.

An irritated-looking Clawdeen exited the bathroom, and she was stunning. Straighter hair framed her angelic face better and her dark eyeshadow brought out her wide and long-lashed eyes. Her clothes showed off the curves of her body and fit her figure perfectly.

Howleen felt her ego take a blow. She was still young, only 14, but she knew she could never be as pretty as Clawdeen. She especially envied her hair. She remembered yesterday when Clawdeen had gotten in the door. She had hit Clawdeen with questions. Where had she been? Why did Romulus drive her home? Clawdeen explained that he had simply done so as a favor to her, and that it really had been no big deal.

Romulus had mentioned to her that he liked it when Clawdeen left her hair straight. Clawdeen wasn't interested in him, was she? Howleen couldn't help the crush she had on Romulus; he was everything a girl could want-tall, attractive, silent, reserved, but still intelligent and loyal and just social enough. Sure, he was older-a lot older, actually-but Howleen didn't care. But she knew she would be no match for Clawdeen if she wanted Romulus.

Clawdeen growled, "Stupid iron…" She muttered.

Getting out the door early again, she walked to the bus stop and waited for…for something. She just wasn't sure what. She finally felt the anxious feeling leave when Romulus rode up. He smiled and waved, and she stood up and got into his car like all was well. Romulus ignored the temptation to kiss her hello. "Hey." He said casually, as if he wasn't being torn apart on the inside from what he really wanted to say.

"Hey." Clawdeen couldn't help how…odd she felt.

…

Getting to school, Frankie sat in first period next to Ghoulia and Holt, who was paying more attention to Frankie than the teacher. Mr. Where stepped out for a minute, and the classroom began to buzz with chatter. "Yo Frankie, you hear about this party this weekend?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. Are you the DJ?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's at a rich dude's house."

Frankie smiled, though she dreaded what would come next. She knew she'd have to face Holt/Jackson sooner or later; they seemed to be getting along and when they were sure they had worked things out, they would want to be talking to Frankie. That had been the real reason she backed away. It had been hard enough choosing between two boys, but when she found out they shared a body, that had made things even more confusing and difficult. She remained quiet.

Holt could feel that nagging itch inside his chest and knew that Jackson wanted out. He had been right about another person being inside him when he spoke to Frankie on the steps, but he had never known that. He sighed and said, "Hold on." He turned off his music and felt the now familiar sensation of Holt turning into Jackson. He slowly lost control of his limbs and managed to say a "See you" to Frankie before he was pushed back into his mind and let Jackson take the reins.

…

"So, who's your perfect match?"

Ghoulia typed at her computer with her new program to help her decide between Slow Moe and Don of the Dead. She was determined to prove Lagoona wrong when she said science didn't have all of the answers (something that personally offended Ghoulia, a monster of science, not romance). Gil stood next to Lagoona, waiting for the answer.

Ghoulia only shrugged and muttered a zombie groan that meant, "I don't know," as a response to Lagoona's question.

"Well, what you waiting for?" Lagoona asked.

Ghoulia nodded and pressed a few keys, and an image of Slow Moe and Don beating each other with sticks and four hearts above each of their heads indicating their life meters came only. Only, something seem to fall from the sky and it's flame spread through and burn everything to ashes, including the two zombies' afterlives.

"Hey, hot stuff!"

"Heath?" Lagoona and Gil shouted.

…

While Draculaura wasn't overjoyed with her boyfriend's present (a driver's manual), she did believe it would help her with her test. So far, she hadn't done too terrible-but her driver could've been a lot smoother. She just needed to parallel park and she'd be done. She would pass.

When she heard the squealing girls, she turned her head and someone tall, dark, and awesome, dressed in Victorian yet still modern and stylish black and red. She knew those handsome features and straight black hair just long enough to run your fingers through. "Valentine…?" She hit her foot forward, sending the car through a sign (and the knives barely missed both of their heads).

While she did fail her test (and could most likely say goodbye to that car from her previous daydream) her heart was swelling with excitement (it's not it could beat, she was technically dead) and she thought it would burst. A smiled formed on her face. "Valentine!"

**Short chapter, I know. But things get so much better next chapter ("You Can't Have It Both Ways, You Gotta Make A Choice"), I can promise you that.**


	5. Chapter 5: :titletoolongtofit:

**Okay, I know how horribly late this is, but I have been super busy, with school and all. But once June comes along, I can finally get my summer vacation and be able to update more often. I just have two English projects due this month, which really sucks for me. But don't worry; I haven't forgotten about any of my stories.**

**Chapter 5: You can't have it both ways! You gotta make a choice!**

Romulus placed against his hands on the seat, pressing Clawdeen against the passenger seat of his car. She groaned his name, knotting her fingers in his hair as he kissed her harder and harder. She sat in between his legs, holding onto him tighter and tighter. All Romulus could think about was _how the hell did this even happen?_ They went from her house, to the party, to his car…he couldn't believe this was really happening. He was kissing Clawdeen, the girl he had sought after for what seemed like all his life. And now, he finally had her.

Kissing Romulus had started a fire in Clawdeen's chest that spread to all the way through her fingertips. Their bodies hummed with pleasure, and all Clawdeen wanted was to stay there with him for the rest of the night, safe and warm in his arms with her body pressed up against his. How did it come to this? She barely remembered; her mind was too clouded from the heat.

Wait, now she remembered. He had picked her up at her house earlier that night…

Clawd and Draculaura had already left, though she feared for Draculaura and Clawd's relationship, as she knew that Valentine would be there. Clawdeen already didn't like that guy; she knew he was all wrong for Draculaura. She had done her hair, applied her makeup, and put on tight jeans, high heels, and a curve-hugging shirt. Romulus had texted her on her iCoffin that he would be by soon to pick her up.

Clawdeen smiled, and waited by the door, and saw by the porch light Romulus pull up to her driveway in his car, and she had locked the door on her way out. Howleen said she wasn't feeling and told her to have fun at the party, and then had gone to bed.

In reality, Howleen hated the fact that Romulus was going to the party with Clawdeen. It truly was only a matter of time before Clawdeen realized that Romulus was the one she was meant to be with, and then…Howleen growled to herself, before turning over on her side and letting the warmth from her blanket nurse her broken heart that she was too proud to ever admit she had.

Frankie had been busy getting ready, though every pulse in her brain told her not to go. It would have loud music, and Holt was to be the DJ there. She knew this would be trouble. Holt would want her attention; he wasn't shy and reserved Jackson. But she had already said she would go; she had to live up to what she said. So she had put on a light blue and white dress with a lightning bolt pattern, placed in her skull earrings and put on a pair of skinny jeans before slipping into her heels and pulling her hair into a pony tail.

Draculaura and Clawd had come to pick her up, and they had arrived together, Draculaura in a pink and black dress with a heart pattern that matched her hair, heels, and makeup and Clawd dressed in casual wear.

Holt had arrived there early to set up and get in a few minutes of a quick practice, and had kept a sharp eye out for Frankie, making sure to keep the music loud and always on, to prevent any unwanted visits from Jackson. Jackson had said he didn't want to push Frankie, but Holt wasn't so delicate with the situation. He wanted to know tonight just who Frankie preferred, and soon he would find out. Soon enough, a crowd of monsters began to swarm inside the room, dancing, kissing, and a few of them drinking.

When Frankie and her friends walked in, a few of the guys who had been laughing and drinking out of red cups pointed to her and grinned in a way that made Holt want to go over to them and punch them in the face. They stared at her chest and when she turned around, their eyes traveled a little lower. Frankie turned her head, finding herself all alone as Clawd and Draculaura had somehow vanished, and she couldn't find Clawdeen and Romulus or Deuce and Cleo in the crowd of people.

She had been largely startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see a smiling Holt. Frankie smiled, glad to see him and to no longer be alone in a crowd of strangers. "Hey," He said. He had asked Heath to take over, telling him it would be good practice for what Holt had been teaching him. Heath had been rather excited to find out that Holt Hyde was his cousin. "You enjoying the party?"

Frankie shrugged. "I dunno. Clawd and Draculaura ran off, and it's just…not really my thing." Frankie liked people and parties, but not this kind of party, where there was alcohol and who knew what else. Frankie didn't want to be all alone; she was scared of what would happen to her. "I think I should just leave."

Holt held onto her hand, determined to ask her who she wanted more-him or Jackson-so, he pulled her back. This was exactly what Frankie was afraid of it. But she realized she couldn't duck Holt forever-she could Jackson, but not Holt. "Hold on," She heard a familiar song playing, and she immediately recognized it-"It Girl" by Jason Deluro. She had forgotten she mentioned to Holt that it was her favorite on one of their dates. "You wanna dance?"

She smiled. "Sure." Holt brought his arm around her waist and held tightly onto her hand while she put her free one on his shoulder. Being so close to Holt-closer than she had ever been to anyone-made her spark at her bolts and surge with electricity and heat, like someone had set her stitches on fire. She certainly felt like someone had, because she felt ready to fall apart. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he held onto her tighter.

Clawdeen sat next to Romulus on the couch, in the room next to the one that Frankie and Holt were in. "Having fun?" Romulus asked. Clawdeen smiled and nodded. Romulus had been afraid to leave Clawdeen's side all evening; he knew Clawdeen could take care of herself, but she wouldn't be able to fight off four or five guys at once. Romulus had promised Clawd to keep his sister safe, but no such promise had to be made.

Hours passed by, and Romulus and Clawdeen had been catching up on the years they had spent apart, as they hadn't really had a chance to do so, after all of that drama between werewolves and vampires. But they told stories about their friends, their family (and how Romulus' sisters could make anything into a competition), and they had talked about how neither of them had ever had a relationship. Clawdeen simply never found someone who was truly dedicated to her, and willing to work around how busy she usually was dealing with her family. Most had decided she wasn't worth it, and the other times Clawdeen had decided they weren't worth it. She had never had a relationship that lasted more than a few weeks, something that put Romulus to ease.

Clawdeen yawned and she saw the clock read midnight. "You ready to come home?" Romulus asked. Clawdeen smiled and nodded, standing up as the two headed for the exit and Romulus' parked car near the street.

Meanwhile, Frankie was still with Holt. They actually hadn't talked much. But Holt had to know the truth before the night was over, and the moment Frankie had been dreading had finally come. "Frankie, baby," She didn't like where this was going. "I gotta know. Who do you like better? Me, or Jackson?" Holt kept the music going; there was no way for Frankie to get out of this.

She bit her lip and shrugged. "I…really don't know." She didn't. "Holt, it's late, I gotta go…" She tried to get away, but Holt held onto her, taking her hand and interlocking their fingers. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back. They locked eyes for just a _second_, and Holt titled his head, closed his eyes, and kissed her.

Frankie felt a passionate heat surge through her, stronger than anything else she had ever felt. The fire started right at the bottom of her heart. She…didn't know how to react. Frankie had never kissed anyone in her life, but she was here, in a crowd of people kissing Holt. Was she supposed to feel this way? She didn't know. But she felt the chemistry, the heat, she and Holt had shared. Holt had truly been sweet to her; he had treated her better than anyone else, always there to listen to her problems, and she could just…relate more to Holt, even if that other person wanting to get out was Jackson. She titled her head, and _she kissed him back_. Holt was the one she really wanted.

They had just gotten into Romulus' car, and once Clawdeen had buckled herself in, she had fallen asleep against the window. Romulus began the hour-drive back to her house, and he smiled. She looked so happy when she was asleep, so peaceful and serene. He brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear. She didn't even stir. There was no one else. He stared at her mouth. She would never know. Just one kiss. He thought to himself. He pulled over, decided he'd kiss her just once, and then he would be happy. He released his seatbelt, and leaned over to her, leaning down and pressing his mouth to hers.

Clawdeen had been having a dreamless nap, ready to go home and go to bed, when she felt something touching her face. She opened her eyes, and found Romulus, kissing her. Clawdeen felt all of the heat go directly to her face, a fire spread through her skin. She titled her head, and she kissed him back. He immediately broke away, startled and absolutely scared out of his mind when she took his face in her hands and kissed him again.

Romulus didn't know what to think. He had been wanting-loving-Clawdeen for all those years, and now-he finally had her. He held onto her tight, not even wanting to take a second to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't just another of his dreams.

And that brought them both back to the moment.

Romulus went lower, and kissed gently and lovingly at her neck, as she murmured his name. He ran his hands up and down her sides. Clawdeen couldn't even think straight; she was kissing Romulus. And God, she loved every second of it. Nothing had ever felt so right in all of her life, she was kissing her childhood friend-

Her childhood friend.

Oh God.

_What did she just do_?

"Romulus," She immediately shrieked, pushing him off of her.

"Clawdeen?" He questioned, startled and returning to that moment of fear. They just stared at each other, eyes wide and breathing hard from the previous intense moment when Clawdeen snapped at him to take her home. They drove in total silence, not even turning on the radio. Clawdeen had refused to look at him, and she simply stared out her window.

They finally pulled up to her house, and she made a beeline for the front porch, slamming the door behind her. Romulus sighed, banging his head against the steering wheel before heading home. He screwed up. Clawdeen didn't want him back. She didn't feel the same way he did for her. But maybe now…now that he knew how she felt, and there was no more "does she or does she not", maybe…he could finally move on. And now he had to. It was over. He would apologize to Clawdeen the next day, and then they would be over. He turned the corner, and headed home.

Frankie and Holt stood at her door, as he had taken her home. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "You know, you're mine now, right?"

She smiled and laughed, all of the anxiety and questions gone from her mind. Holt was the wanted. And now, she was his girlfriend. Her first boyfriend ever. He leaned down to kiss her, and she kissed him back. "Goodnight," He said. She nodded.

"I'll see you on Monday." She said, as he walked away and she closed the door, ready to get dressed and go to bed.

Holt had never been so happy in all his life. He could call Frankie his girl. He got into his car, and he drove home.

Clawdeen buried her face in her pillow. God, she didn't know what part she regretted the most; kissing Romulus, or yelling at him to stop. She remembered how gentle and loving he had been, kissing her neck, her mouth, and her forehead. She didn't want him to stop. But…they were childhood friends. It seemed that only after she remembered that did the gears in her mind truly start to work again. She didn't want to do something to hurt him. She couldn't hurt him. So she yelled at him to stop. She sighed. Tomorrow was sure to be a long day.

**Yeah, this chapter focuses on Holt and Frankie, and Romulus and Clawdeen. You mad, bro? ;D**


End file.
